Money Talks

We’re not even at the end of the month, but the Clinton and Obama campaigns have given clues as to where they stand in second-quarter fund-raising: Clinton will post about $27 million in contributions, but her camp expects Obama to outraise her. His campaign has officially said that they have passed a total of 250,000 contributors, meaning a staggering 150,000 new donors have send in money in the past few months.

How do they fare in Hollywood?

As has been reported, the notion that Obama would steal Clinton’s thunder in the entertainment business appears to have dissipated. With the Spielberg endorsement, she’s solidified her base of long-time Hollywood political players, like Peter Chernin and Haim Saban.

But that’s not to say that Obama is hurting. What will be telling when the donor names go public in mid-July is just how many smaller donors he gets in the industry, people who have not been involved in the process before. It would be a big surprise if he outraises Clinton in the entertainment business in the second quarter — Clinton has just had more events — but it will be telling if he comes up with more donors, like he will across the country.

I say all of this with a few caveats: the amount raised in entertainment is still going to pale in comparison to other industries. It’s just that show biz gets all of the attention. And the majority of the donors are still giving to multiple candidates — some even holding out hopes for Al Gore. After all, it’s the best way to make sure you’re with a winner.

HillCam: Bolstering its coverage of itself, the campaign of Hillary Clinton introduced the HillCam, which will capture Clinton and her husband as they travel across Iowa next week in joint campaign appearances.

Ad Avalanche: The recent Supreme Court decision that removed restrictions on so-called issue ads means even more in the coffers of broadcasters, who now fear running out of inventory next year.

Just To Assure You: In a last-minute fund-raising pitch, Joe Biden assures supporters, “We promise during a Biden administration, Dick Cheney will not be a member of the EXECUTIVE OR LEGISLATIVE branch of government.”